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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. board — a committee
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. row — to paddle
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rash — a series
  11. vault — a safe
  12. club — for dancing
  13. scale — size or range
  14. club — for golf
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pitch — completely
  19. scale — in music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. club — a group
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com